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Each month, Sarah Sloboda offers a special package utilizing alternative photographic mediums such as color, slide, black-and-white, and medium format films. Sign up below to receive informative updates on these special offerings, designed to enhance your artistic palette in the spirit and style of a wine tasting.

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Your Questions Answered

What sets Sarah Sloboda apart?

With Sarah Sloboda Photography, every, single shoot is unique. From one day to the next, moods shift, people mature, the sun moves, the clouds move; literally nothing is exactly the same as the day before. Sarah works in tandem with the natural rhythms of life, so you can expect that your photos will be unique to the circumstances of your shoot day. She’ll take advantage of the best natural lighting options available, and work with the background as best is possible. No matter the moods of the day, Sarah will be alert to moments of authentic expression. When you see your proofs, you will see unique images that could have only been created at that exact point in your life — truly, something to cherish.

Sarah’s photos contain joy, humor, honesty, optimism and a hint of the unexpected. Like a good foreign film, her best photos are little bit surreal. Sarah has traveled the globe on assignment, shooting documentary-style, and making human psychology her visual study. Her acclaimed portraits have appeared in magazines like Rangefinder,Daily Candy Kids, Citibabes and Disney’s Wondertime, amongst others. Her series “Happiest Day in a Girl’s Life” was runner-up for the prestigious Prix de la Photographie, Paris.

Her best asset for photographing kids is her personality. She takes delight in them, and they take notice.

Will Sarah come to us?

Yes! Sarah’s appointments regularly take place in San Francisco and the Bay Area. She also travels annually to New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Cleveland, London and Paris. If you don’t see your city on the list, and would like to set up a session, email rsvp@sarahsloboda.com to discuss adding your city to her family photo tour.

What are some good ideas for a photo session?

Sarah’s love (and brief course of study) of architecture and space allows her to incorporate the environment of her subjects to deepen the composition and meaning of her photographs. She frequently works with the same family in numerous cities when their travel paths cross, creating a dynamic collection of images for their archives.

Great locations for a story-telling photo shoot include:

Your home

A favorite park or nearby playground

Local landmarks

Architectural points of interest

Museums, libraries, public spaces

And, because of her pure photojournalist-style background, Sarah is her clients’ favorite choice for documenting the occasions in their lives.

Consider a session any time you wish to commemorate your joys, milestones and successes as a family:

She’s connected to super savvy mom-bloggers and children’s boutique owners in New York, London, San Francisco, and worldwide, so you might also like to follow her in Instagram, Facebook, and/or twitter to get the latest scoop on what’s in before your photo session.

When and how do we schedule a session?

Your child’s / family’s schedule is the first factor used to determine the time. Mornings are often the best time for a young child mood-wise. Luckily, they also provide excellent light. Ideally, you’ll have them fresh from a good night’s sleep or nap, fed, and ready to go.

Evening shoots are available to take advantage of “magic hour,” the filmmaking term for when the sun is going down. The lighting effects are simply spectacular. These sessions are great for older kids, and also work for younger kids when the right nap timing can be arranged. Moods are most important to the success of a shoot, so bear that in mind when requesting a time.

To schedule, send an email to rsvp@sarahsloboda.com. Please include city/location, preferred dates and timing.

How long is a shoot?

“Longer than the dentist, but shorter than the psychoanalyst.” –Henri Cartier-Bresson

Shoot duration varies depending on the scope of the package. Package options can be viewed here. Sarah recommends allowing yourself an hour before and after the shoot, so that you can be fully present for the shoot itself.

What should I expect during the proofing process?

Sarah offers a complimentary phone call to go over any questions you may have before placing your order. You may also simply order prints online or email a digital order with image numbers, sizes and quantities to rsvp@sarahsloboda.com.

You will have one week to proof your images, inclusive in your sitting fee. If you wish to extend the time, you may do so at $20/week.

(While great care is taken to archive all images permanently, there is no guarantee you will be able to gain access to your photos after the initial proofing period.)

How much does a session cost?

Sarah can help you custom-tailor a special package to tell your family’s story in a way that’s fun and convenient for you. She also has a variety of package options available. Send an email to rsvp@sarahsloboda.com with your city / location of the photo shoot to request current pricing options and availability.

Will my photos be perfect?

Absolutely not. Sarah loathes perfection. Families and individuals are flawed, free-spirited, and utterly unique by nature. What Sarah’s work encapsulates is the essence of a family or individual’s energy, even if this means hair is out of place or clothes are slightly disheveled. To her, squinting eyes mean genuine smile; a wrinkled nose means laughing with joy. The spirit captured in her work is of paramount importance, over all other details.

As a trained photojournalist-style photographer, she embraces the fact that moments spontaneously unfold, sometimes faster than the camera or the photographer can make adjustments. This is spontaneity is part of the beauty of life. Because of it, you may see a few images in your collection that have flaws in focus, clarity, and/or contrast. If such images are not your cup of tea, simply ignore these artistic ones, and select other options. But know that many of Sarah’s clients seek out this special ability to tune in to the moment, and welcome any technical “flaws” in capturing what otherwise wouldn’t have been captured at all. So, there might be something special in there, even if it causes you to stretch your aesthetic sense to find it.

How do you pronounce SLOBODA?

It’s pronounced Sluh-BO-duh. Some people remember this by singing, “Slow Boat to China.”